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Should Edward Snowden Trust Apple To Do the Right Thing?

Posted by timothy on from the manifold-motives dept.

Nicola Hahn writes: As American lawmakers run a victory lap after passing the USA Freedom Act of 2015, Edward Snowden has published an op-ed piece which congratulates Washington on its "historic" reform. He also identifies Apple Inc. as a champion of user privacy. Snowden states: "Basic technical safeguards such as encryption — once considered esoteric and unnecessary — are now enabled by default in the products of pioneering companies like Apple, ensuring that even if your phone is stolen, your private life remains private." This sort of talking point encourages the perception that Apple has sided with users in the battle against mass surveillance. But there are those who question Snowden's public endorsement of high-tech monoliths. Given their behavior in the past is it wise to assume that corporate interests have turned over a new leaf and won't secretly collaborate with government spies?

4 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. The basic tenet of security by ColdWetDog · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Is that you don't trust nobody.

    I can't imagine actually 'trusting' Apple or any other corporation or government. Give them a pat on the back for making security easier - sure. Trusting them, not so much.

    --
    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    1. Re:The basic tenet of security by praxis · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You must trust some things some times with some data, or you can get no meaningful work done. Balancing that trust (the risk) with that data (the value) is what security is about. I put this data, that I just wrote, on this website, because it is low value and low risk. I wouldn't post here my social-security number because that would be high risk. I wouldn't post my private key here either, but I do store my private key on a hard drive I did not build myself nor did I verify myself running an OS I did not build myself nor did I verify myself because while it's high value, it is low risk due to the many rounds of secure math protecting it.

      As to trusting Apple or any other corporation or government. You implicitly trust your hardware manufacturers, all of them, unless you build your own hardware from scratch. Same goes for software, even open source software.

  2. Re:why is Eric snowden an expert on security by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You seem to be upset that Snowden leaked information containing the horrible acts of our Government and it's military, yet you're not upset that the government and it's military were doing these horrible things. I think your priorities are askew.

  3. No reason to trust by endus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I see no reason to trust Apple or any similar companies whatsoever. They have betrayed consumers' trust in the past, have cooperated with illegal surveillance programs, etc. If a given company has cleaned up its act, great, but independent verification, open standards, etc. are the only way to gain assurance. Trust is irrelevant.